Originally Posted by
Zetopan
I have a series 1 PCNC 1100 that is being updated to the latest version 3 and there *is* room in the control cabinet for a 5th axis driver in the lower left corner of the steel plate in the control cabinet. Since I have not seen the interior of a series 3, I have no idea what the internals of the control cabinet looks like. Also note that the 4th and 5th axes stepper drivers are 2 phase rather than 3 phase like the linear axes, and the rotary axes drivers are also physically *much* smaller that the linear axes drivers. I have in fact been working on building a 5th axis for this mill (via a trunnion table) and I am still using Mach 3 because at this time I have not been able to get sufficient documentation to install an altered version of Path Pilot that could control 5 axes.
With regards to SprutCAM, the ALL POSTS version readily supports 5 axis continuous machining and that is why I specifically upgraded from the Tormach ONLY POST some time ago. For Mach 3 you will have to add a second parallel port (which I have done) and that also adds a number of convenient inputs and outputs for homing the 4th and 5th axes, controlling stack lights, exact spindle speed feedback, etc.
My 4th axis is an 8" diameter horizontal/vertical Yuasa and my 5th axis is a horizontal 6" diameter Phase II. I motorized the Yuasa many years ago and have used it a lot. I have a 5 axis screen set up for Mach 3 and the design of the 5th axis allows for continuous rotation of the 4th axis, unlike the Tormach prototype that you likely viewed (the only actual physical constraint being the cabling).
I have been modeling the mechanical design using a low cost FEM package to arrive at a structure that is sufficiently rigid in all orientations. To achieve maximum torque both my 4th and 5 axes use 2:1 reductions from the stepper drives. The 4th axis reduction is done with a folded drive using a timing belt, while the 5th axis uses a right angle precision bevel gear set. This allows the stepper to easily sit within the trunnion table and remain below the top of the 6" rotary table. The top of the 6" rotary table is at the centerline of the 4th axis rotary table and this arrangement allows for handling a 6" on a side cube and allow full 360 degree rotation of the 4th axis. The 5th axis can actually handle something approaching 15" in diameter and taller than 6" with restricted rotations in the 4th axis. Send me a private email and I can send you more details.
I suggest that you don't give up due to the comments from those who are uninterested in even having a 5th axis. I am not the only one who is working on or has built a 5th axis for the Tormach PCNC 1100. To be more accurate, the others are only using indexing rather than continuous movements on their 5th axis. If anything, Path Pilot may be what actually restricts you with a new series 3 PCNC 1100. I would readily move from Mach 3 to Path Pilot if there were an actual established path for adding a 5th axis. Thus far, Tormach will not provide sufficient details for an end user to do that type of modification to Path Pilot.